


Trouble In The Mountains

by Lunardeityastrid



Series: Paging Dr. Wayne [4]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Batlantern - Freeform, Doctor/Nurse AU, M/M, dr wayne, hal/bruce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26400211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunardeityastrid/pseuds/Lunardeityastrid
Summary: Bruce was about to respond, something about how proud Hal’s father would be but a blood-curdling scream ripped through the open plain. Birds flew from their perch. Hal and Bruce left their campground running in the direction of the scream.Lying on the dusty terrain was an older man and a young girl kneeling next to him. The red pool of blood was visible even from where they stood.“As I told you doctors don’t really take vacations, Hal,” Bruce said, a little wearily.
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne
Series: Paging Dr. Wayne [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859779
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Trouble In The Mountains

**Author's Note:**

> *Mentions of blood and bone sticking through the skin  
> **also snakes

Hal stopped. He looked out over the California mountains with a smile on his face for being back home, back in his domain. The view was just as beautiful. Large trees littered the land and birds swooped over the lakes, gliding as if their wings were touching the water. An f-16 roared over his head, pushing his brown hair astray, as it buzzed low over the mountains returning to the nearby base in his hometown, Coast City. Hal smiled fondly, his hands on his hips. He could remember just how fast and how busy the skies had been. Growing up this was paradise. 

“See Bruce, isn’t this great? Away from cold bleach smelling hospitals and out in nature?” Hal turned to see Bruce, hiking up behind him, the pack heavy on his back. Hal, on the other hand, wasn’t bothered by the weight of his pack.

“It’s a tad hot.” 

“That’s just that cold Gotham skin. It feels amazing.” 

Bruce narrowed his eyes as he looked at Hal donning his old leather flight jacket.“Yeah. Yeah. How much further until we reach our campground?”Bruce couldn’t believe he agreed to a weekend in the mountains. He was practically itching to see how the new doctor was treating his floor or maybe that was the mosquitoes that bit him on the way up. But as he promised Hal, he wouldn’t worry about work. That was after he checked his phone in the car and locked it away in the glovebox, along with Hal’s. Being completely off the grid on this trip was entirely Hal’s idea.

Hal unfolded the worn map, that was covered in scrawls from the last person to ever use it. Some of the scrawls marked unique trees or places with the best views. Hal looked for one mark that was a messy oval; the best campground in Martin Jordan’s eyes. The campground was a rugged off-trail piece of flat lush green earth. Hal’s father had taken him out there a lot. It was the best place to hear the roar of the fighters as they took off from the nearby base. Almost every weekend Hal and his father packed up for this small getaway. Hal hadn’t been out here since his father passed away. It’s been almost two decades since then. 

“About half a mile.” He said finally, taking a step over a large tree root. 

Bruce and Hal chatted about a few things as they walked on. Bits of shallow conversation about the mountains and the birds that flew over. Bruce found himself surprised at just how much of the things Hal could name; the birds overhead, the different types of vegetation that managed to line the trail in this mild heat. 

“How’d you learn all this?” 

“Air Force and dad brought me out here. You have to know what can potentially kill you if your jet crashes or just camping.”Hal laughed softly.”I had this course for two weeks in the wilderness. We were dropped in and told to survive until rescue arrived. The guy I was assigned to-Danny something- we found this snake. He kept telling me he had to see the markings to know if it was poisonous. I kept saying, ‘Danny, just go the other way. You get close, it'll strike.’ He walks up to it, it hisses and in seconds strikes his ankle.”

“What happened?” 

“Oh, he died. Turns out it was a two-step snake. You know the number of steps a person takes after being bit.” 

Bruce stopped as he watched Hal continue to walk, meandering off the trail. Was that why Hal was so adamant about wear boots and not tennis shoes?”Out here?”

“There’s camp,'' Hal said, pointing. Bruce rushed behind him. He tried to sound calm but it came out very panicked. 

“Was the snake out here?!”

“Oh,” Hal laughed.”Does that worry you?” 

“Hal.” 

“We’ll be fine. Have you never been camping?” Hal looked Bruce up and down. The man was dressed in slacks and a polo. Hal shook his head taking in a deep breath.”Nevermind. It’s obvious.” 

Bruce and Hal were halfway through setting up their campsite. Since they camped so far into the mountains, they took few items; a collapsible cooler, some lanterns, and of course a tent. Most of their food was dry and only needed water. Cooking anything was out of the question. Due to the dry weather, having an open fire was prohibited this time of year. Hal could remember in detail being a kid growing up in California during the fire season. One small spark would set the whole area ablaze. 

Bruce was anchoring the tent in case they had any strong winds. He noticed Hal staring out at the sky, waiting for more fighter jets to buzz by. He could see just how lost in thought Hal was.”So, your dad brought you out here? This same spot?” 

Hal nodded.”Yeah. He taught me how to fish out here, we had father-son talks, all sorts of things. Other than flying this is where I feel connected to him.” 

Bruce was about to respond, something about how proud Hal’s father would be but a blood-curdling scream ripped through the open plain. Birds flew from their perch. Hal and Bruce left their campground running in the direction of the scream. 

Lying on the dusty terrain was an older man and a young girl kneeling next to him. The red pool of blood was visible even from where they stood. 

“As I told you doctors don’t really take vacations, Hal,” Bruce said, a little wearily. 

\--  
Once they came closer to the man, Hal kneeled taking the man’s wrist in his hand, searching for a pulse. The problem was clear. The man’s bone was protruding through the skin of his leg, jagged on the end. A compound fracture and it wasn’t a clean break at that. ”I’m Hal. Can you tell me your name?” 

The young girl was crying loudly. Hal looked at her for a second, she was at least eight and completely terrified. He switched his glance to Bruce and back to the girl. Bruce got the idea. He began to look the girl over. To Bruce, she seemed like she was in perfectly good health. 

The man groaned in pain but finally answered Hal.”Marcus.” 

“Alright, Marcus. Everything’s going to be fine.” Hal took his jacket off, folding it and set it under Marcus’s head. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his pocket knife. Hal cut the bottom of his shirt into a long strip of fabric.” We need to get him to our tent. At least there we have water to clean this wound.” 

“Hal,” Bruce said, his voice low. The young girl no longer crying.”This isn’t an ordinary wound. There are more than likely fragments of bone in there. I don’t know what you plan on doing but he has to get to a hospital. Neither of us bought anything to-” 

“Right now, I need to control the bleeding. You’re used to being in a sanitary hospital; I’ve been trained in field medicine. I know what I’m doing.” 

Bruce eyed Hal before nodding his head. 

Hal and Bruce, Hal holding Marcus’s legs, carried him back to the camp. The young girl carried Hal’s jacket as she followed along. Once Marcus was settled, Hal took his pulse again. Still strong which was a good sign, he hadn’t lost too much blood. 

“Bruce. Take the map, there’s a ranger station not too far from here. I’m sure they can call in a helicopter.” Bruce didn’t say anything. He took the map and wandered off. Hal knew he must have struck a nerve earlier but he couldn’t think about it. He stopped watching Bruce and focused on the little girl in front of him as he flushed the wound. He pressed his hand along Marcus’s leg” Can you do me a favor?” 

She nodded. 

“I need two large sticks. Think you can find me some?”

“I’ll go look.” She said as she got up. 

“Stay close!” Hal shouted but he didn’t think she heard him. The last thing he needed was her getting bit by a snake. 

After ten minutes passed, Hal considered going to find the little girl. He hoped that Bruce had made it to the Ranger Station and that someone was on duty. Hal took the time to clean his hands with water and then the travel pack of hand sanitizer. The girl came back, sticks across her chest, all of them varying in size. Hal smiled as he thanked her and picked up two that were fairly straight and wide in diameter. He placed them on either side of the man’s leg wrapping his torn shirt around the sticks, tightly and tying the ends together to form a makeshift splint. 

Suddenly the familiar whirring could be heard past the trees. Hal looked up to see the Ranger’s helicopter coming into view. The ranger set it down and Bruce and him got out of the helicopter. Hal filled the ranger in as he helped load Marcus and his daughter into the back. 

Hal and Bruce stood there watching as it took off. They stood in silence long after the helicopter was gone.  
\--  
Sitting around their lantern as a makeshift fire, and stars above their heads, Hal rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at his cut shirt.”Listen, about earlier-” 

“It’s fine, Hal. The important thing is that we got Marcus off to a hospital.” 

“I know but...I don’t want you to think I undermined you or anything. I didn’t mean anything by what I said. ” 

“Hal.” Bruce said softly.” You handled the situation better than I probably could have. Besides, there’s a reason we don’t work together.” 

Hal laughed.

“Now let’s just try to enjoy our vacation.” 

Hal nodded as they fell into silence. He sipped his water before saying,” You know my dad broke his ankle out here one time.” 

“Really?”

“Yeah. He saw a snake.” 

“Shut up, Hal,” Bruce said before pressing a kiss to Hal’s forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first full fic I've written since writer's block. I apologize if the ending was choppy. I couldn't figure out the best way to end it. (I may try to rewrite it at some point.) 
> 
> (Also I don't think -or at least know if- Bruce is afraid of snakes in the comics but in this AU he is 😂)
> 
> Anyways! I hope you enjoyed it!


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